Tagging Digital Media

ABSTRACT

A method for tagging digital media is described. The method includes selecting a digital media and selecting region within the digital media. The method may further include associating a person or entity with the selected region and sending a notification of the association the person or entity or a different person or entity. The method may further include sending advertising with the notification.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a Continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/092,443 filed on Apr. 22, 2011 for “System and Method forTagging Digital Media,” which is a Continuation of U.S. Pat. No.7,945,653 filed on Oct. 11, 2006, issued on May 17, 2011 for “System andMethod for Tagging Digital Media,” which is incorporated herein byreference for all purposes. This application also incorporates byreference U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/750,844 filedon Dec. 14, 2005 for “Systems and Methods for Social Mapping,” U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/753,810 filed on Dec. 23,2005 for “Systems and Methods for Social Timeline,” U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/493,291 filed on Jul. 25, 2006 for “Systems andMethods for Dynamically Generating a Privacy Summary,” U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/502,757 filed on Aug. 11, 2006 for “Systems andMethods for Generating Dynamic Relationship-Based Content Personalizedfor Members of a Web-Based Social Network,” U.S. patent application Ser.No. 11/503,093 filed on Aug. 11, 2006 for “Systems and Methods forMeasuring User Affinity in a Social Network Environment,” U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/503,037 filed on Aug. 11, 2006 for “Systems andMethods for Providing Dynamically Selected Media Content to a User of anElectronic Device in a Social Network Environment,” and U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/503,242 filed on Aug. 11, 2006 for “System andMethod for Dynamically Providing a News Feed About a User of a SocialNetwork.”

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to internet digital content, andmore particularly to systems and methods for tagging digital media.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Various websites have developed systems for organizing photos intoalbums available for viewing by other network users.

Some social networking websites offer mechanisms that may allow the userto select particular photos or albums for immediate viewing. Typically,however, these photos are disparate and disorganized. In other words,the user must spend time visually searching through albums, photo byphoto, for individuals or objects that are not presented in a coherentor consolidated manner. Often, many of the photos do not depict personsor objects of interest to the user. Just as often, the user remainsunaware of the existence of some photos that were overlooked. What isneeded is a method to organize digital media and automatically generatenotifications to persons or entities interested in the digital media.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes systems and methods for tagging digitalmedia in a social network environment administered by a social networkserver. In various embodiments, digital media may include digitalimages, digital video, digital audio, digital audio visual media,computer games, digital books, digital text, and/or the like. A user ofa social network may upload digital media (e.g., a digital image) to afile (e.g., an album) on their web page thus becoming a media owner ofthe digital image. The media owner may select and tag a region of theimage by clicking on a point in the digital image to select the regionand typing appropriate text to tag the region. The media owner mayselect and tag multiple regions. In one embodiment, the tagged region isindicated by a border superimposed over the digital image. In oneembodiment, the tagged text is displayed with the image, and the borderis viewed by selecting the tagged text (e.g., by placing the cursor overthe tagged text). Users in the social network environment may visit themedia owner's web page via the network and select the tagged text toview the tagged region in the digital image. In some embodiments, otherusers can tag the media owner's images.

In some embodiments, the tagged text includes contact information (e.g.,an email address) identifying a tagged user within the social networkenvironment. In various embodiments, contact information includes anemail address, a phone number, a mailing address, a user account, a username, a text message number, a voice mail user number, a pager number,an instant message address, and/or the like. Contact information mayalso include a name of a person or entity or information regarding athird person or entity. The tagged user may receive an automatic emailnotification via the social network that his or her email address hasbeen used to tag the digital image. The notification may include ahyperlink providing the tagged user an opportunity to view the digitalmedia and tagged region, and/or visit the media owner's web page. Thehyperlink may further provide the tagged user an opportunity to confirmor disaffirm the tagged text that includes the email address. When thetagged text has been disaffirmed, tags may not be displayed to otherusers visiting the media owner's web page.

In some embodiments, the tagged text includes contact information (e.g.,an email address) for a tagged non-user outside the social networkenvironment (non-member). The tagged non-user may receive an automaticemail notification via the internet that his or her email address hasbeen used to tag the digital media. The notification may include ahyperlink providing the tagged non-user an opportunity to view thedigital media and the tagged region and, optionally, visit the owner'sweb page. The hyperlink may further provide the tagged non-user aninvitation to become a member of the social network environment. Uponbecoming a member of the social network environment, the tagged non-userand may visit the owner's web page (as a tagged user) and confirm ordisaffirm the tagged text including the tagged non-user's email address.

Exemplary embodiments describe methods for tagging digital media. Insome embodiments, the methods include selecting the digital media andselecting a region within the digital media. The method further includesassociating a person or entity with the selected region within thedigital media and may further include sending a notification of theassociation to the person or entity, or to a third person or entity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary social network environment for taggingdigital media;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary social network provider;

FIG. 3A is a block diagram of an exemplary media engine;

FIG. 3B is an exemplary screen shot of an album web page;

FIG. 3C is an exemplary screen shot of a digital image web page;

FIG. 3D is an exemplary screen shot of a digital image edit web page;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary tag component;

FIG. 5 is an exemplary screen shot of a tag web page;

FIG. 6 is an exemplary screen shot of a tag web page;

FIG. 7 is an exemplary screen shot of a tag web page; and

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of an exemplary process for tagging digitalimages in a social network.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary environment for tagging digital media,such as in a social network environment 100. One or more users 101, atuser devices 110, are coupled to a social network provider 130 via acommunications network 120. In various embodiments, user devices 110include a computer terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), awireless telephone, a digital camera, and/or the like. In variousembodiments, the communications network 120 includes a local areanetwork (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless network, anintranet, an internet, and/or the like. In one embodiment, users 101comprise various types of users, including a user who is a digital mediaowner 101 a (e.g., a user 101 who uploads digital media) and a user whois a tagged user 101 b (e.g., a user 101 associated with a region in thedigital media). In various embodiments, digital media includes digitalimages, digital video, digital audio, digital audiovisual media, digitaltext, digital books, online game icons, online game avatars, and/or thelike. For the purposes of illustration, digital images are discussedherein. However, one skilled in the art would understand that thediscussion applies equally to a wide variety of digital media. The useof digital images is not intended to be limiting.

The social network provider is an entity or person that provides socialnetworking services, communication services, dating services, companyintranets, online games, and so forth. For example, the social networkprovider 130 may host a website that allows one or more users 101, e.g.,the media owner 101 a and/or the tagged user 101 b, at one or more userdevices 110, to communicate with one another via the website. The socialnetwork environment 100 offers users 101, e.g., the media owner 101 a,an opportunity to connect or reconnect with the one or more other users101, e.g., the tagged user 101 b and/or other users 101 that attended,for example, the same university as the media owner 101 a. In someembodiments, a social network environment 100 includes a segmentedcommunity. A segmented community according to one embodiment is aseparate, exclusive or semi-exclusive social network environment 100, orsocial network environment 100 wherein each user 101 who is anauthenticated segmented community member may access and interact withother members of their respective segmented community.

The social network environment 100 may further offer users 101 anopportunity to connect or reconnect with one or more non-users outsidethe social network environment 100. One example of such non-user is atagged non-user 102. The tagged non-user 102 may be coupled to thesocial network provider 130, at a user device 110 via the communicationsnetwork 120.

The social networking environment 100 further includes a media engine135. The media engine 135 is configured to provide the user 101 mediaservices for manipulating media (e.g., digital images) within the socialnetwork environment 100. Examples of digital image manipulation includecreating albums within the user's 101 web page, uploading digital imagesto the user's 101 albums, associating captions with the digital images,tagging the digital images with information about regions within thedigital images, stacking digital images, deleting digital images,deleting albums, and the like.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a block diagram of an exemplary social networkprovider, such as the social network provider 130 shown in FIG. 1, isshown. The social network provider 130 includes a profile database 202,a communications interface 204, a monitoring module 206, a mediadatabase 210, a display engine/GUI 208, an activity database 212, and anadvertising module 214. Although the social network provider 130 isdescribed as being comprised of various components (the profile database202, the communications interface 204, the monitoring module 206, thedisplay engine/GUI 208, the media database 210, the activity database212, and the advertising module 214), fewer or more components maycomprise the social network provider 130 and still fall within the scopeof various embodiments.

The profile database 202 is provided for storing data associated witheach of the users, such as the user 101 associated with user device 110.When the user 101 subscribes to services provided by the social networkprovider 130, a user profile may be generated for user 101. For example,the user 101 may select privacy settings, provide contact information,provide personal statistics, specify memberships in variousorganizations, indicate interests, list affiliations, post classschedules, detail work activities, or group other users 101 according toone or more categories. When the user 101 adds additional information tothe user profile, such as adding additional albums, the user profile inthe profile database 202 may be updated with icons of the additionalalbums. The user profile may be stored, modified, added, and so forth toany storage medium. A timestamp may be associated with the user profile,in the profile database 202. Examples of timestamps include order ofoccurrence in the profile database 202, date, time of day, and the like.

According to some embodiments, the user profile is created outside ofthe social network environment 100 and provided to the profile database202 for local access by the social network provider 130. Alternatively,the profile database 202 is located remotely and accessed by the socialnetwork provider 130.

The communications interface 204 is configured to communicate with users101, such as via the user device 110 over the network 104. The userdevice 110 communicates various types of information, such as digitalmedia (e.g., digital images), privacy settings selections, groupings ofother users 101, and so forth, to the social network provider 130 viathe communications interface 204. Any type of communications interface204 is within the scope of various embodiments.

The monitoring module 206 tracks one or more user's 101 activities onthe social network environment 100. For example, the monitoring module206 can track the user's 101 interaction with one or more items ofdigital media, such as digital images, news stories, other users' 101profiles, email to other users 101, chat rooms provided via the socialnetwork provider 130, and so forth. Any type of user activity can betracked or monitored via the monitoring module 206. The information,digital media (e.g., digital images), people, groups, stories, and soforth, with which the user 101 interacts, may be represented by one ormore objects, according to various embodiments. The monitoring module206 may determine an affinity of the user 101 for subjects, other user's101 digital images, relationships, events, organizations, and the like,according to users' 101 activities.

The display engine/GUI 208 displays the one or more items of digitalmedia (e.g., digital images), profile information, and so forth, tousers 101. Users 101 can interact with the social network provider 130via the display engine/GUI 208. For example, users 101 can selectalbums, access individual digital images, access other users' 101digital images available via the social network provider 130, and soforth, via the display engine/GUI 208. The albums and/or digital imagesmay be displayed in a field in the display engine/GUI 208.

The media database 210 is configured to store data about digital media(e.g., digital images) for users 101. Information about the digitalimages includes album location, captions, tags, date information, accessprivileges, and the like. In various embodiments, the media owner 101 acan assign an image to a selected album, associate captions with theimages, and associate tags with the images, using the media database210. In one embodiment, the media owner 101 a may tag a digital imageusing the email address of the tagged user 101 b and associating theemail address with a region of the digital image. The associationbetween the digital image and the email address may be stored in themedia database 210. The media owner 101 a can store access privileges toa digital image, according to groups, networks, and so forth, in themedia database 210.

The activity database 212 is configured to store activity data (e.g.,tracked by the monitoring module 206) about each user 101. Theactivities may be tracked by the monitoring module 206. Activitiesmonitored by the monitoring module 206 may be stored in the activitydatabase 212. Activity entries in the activity database 212 may includea timestamp indicating time and date of the activity, the type ofactivity, the user 101 initiating the activity, any other users 101 whoare objects of the activity, and the like. Activities may be stored inmultiple databases, including the activity database, the profiledatabase, the relationship database, and so forth. Examples ofactivities stored in the activity database 212 include creating albums,uploading digital images, deleting digital images, deleting albums,tagging digital images, and/or the like. For example, an entry in theactivity database 212 may record that a digital image was uploaded to analbum at 14:52 on March 31, or that the digital image was tagged at15:12 on March 31.

According to various embodiments, one or more networks are provided foreach user 101 within the social network environment 100. For example,user 101 may have a network comprised of other users 101 within thesocial network environment who are grouped according to a universityattended, a network comprised of people grouped according to the user'sgeographical location of residence, a network comprised of peoplegrouped according to a common field of work, a network comprised ofpeople grouped according to a particular business, and so forth. Acommon network may establish a relationship between user 101 and otherusers 101 in the common network.

The advertising module 214 is configured to provide advertising to users101 via the communications interface 204 and/or the display engine/GUI208. The advertising module 214 may determine appropriate advertisingusing the profile database 202, the monitoring module 206, and/or theactivity database 212. For example, the monitoring module 206 maycommunicate to the advertising module 214 that a digital image upload isin progress via the communications interface 204. The advertising module214 selects the advertising according to the profile of the user 101 inthe profile database 202 and displays the advertising to the user 101via the display engine/GUI 208 during the upload. Since the user 101 islikely to be focused on the display, watching for the upload tocomplete, the advertising module 214 may further tailor selection of theadvertising for effect on the focused user 101.

Any type of network may be provided by the social network provider 130.In other words, a network may comprise people grouped according to anytype of category, such as various social networks described herein, like“friends,” “geographical location,” and so forth. User 101 may specifythe networks, the categories, subcategories, and so forth and/or thesemay be predetermined by the social network provider 130. The networks,categories, the subcategories, and so forth, may comprise a relationshipwith the user 101, as discussed herein, but do not necessarily comprisethe only relationship user 101 has with the other users 101.

FIG. 3A is a block diagram of an exemplary media engine 135. The mediaengine 135 is configured to provide the user 101 media services formanipulating digital media (e.g., digital images) within the socialnetwork environment 100. Examples of digital image manipulation includecreating albums within the user's 101 web page, uploading digital imagesto the user's 101 albums, associating captions with the digital images,tagging the digital images with information about regions within thedigital images, deleting digital images, deleting albums, and the like.

The media engine 135 includes an optional album component 310, a digitalmedia component 320, a digital image edit component 330, and a tagcomponent 340. Although the media engine 135 is described as beingcomprised of various components (e.g., the album component 310, thedigital media component 320, the digital image edit component 330, andthe tag component 340), fewer or more components may comprise the mediaengine 135 and still fall within the scope of various embodiments.

The album component 310 is configured to create albums and/or deletealbums. An album may be a collection of digital media (e.g., digitalimages, digital audio, digital video, and/or the like). Variousembodiments of an album include a list of digital media, a foldercontaining media files, a file, and or the like.

FIG. 3B is an exemplary screen shot of an album web page 350. The albumweb page 350 includes one or more album icons 352. In variousembodiments, creating an album includes assigning a name to the album,recording a time stamp for the album, recording descriptive text aboutthe album, assigning access privileges for who can view and/or modifythe contents of the album, and the like.

The album component 310 is further configured to display informationabout the album. In some embodiment, the information about the albumsincludes a list of albums and the number of albums associated with theuser 101. The album component 310 further includes an optional albumcaption 354. The album caption 354 may include, in various combinations,an album name, a time stamp, descriptive text about the album, privilegeinformation, the number of digital images in the album, the accessprivileges, and the like. In some embodiments, the album component 310uses a digital image from the album as the album icon 352. In variousembodiments, the album component 310 displays further information aboutthe albums including which album is the most recently updated, whichalbum is the most popular, which albums contain digital images that havebeen tagged by other users 101, and/or the like.

Optionally, the album component 310 displays advertising 356, which maybe received from the advertising module 214. In various embodiments, thealbum component 310 includes one or more links 358 and software codeconfigured to view the album and/or the contents of the album, edit thealbum and/or the contents of the album, print the album and/or contentsof the album, share the album and/or the contents of the album withother users 101, and the like. In some embodiments, a privacy setting359 may be associated with the album by the album component 310. Theprivacy setting 359 may limit access to, for example, users 101 who arefriends of the media owner 101 a, any user 101 of the social networkenvironment 100 who is within the media owner's 101 a personal network,any user 101 of the social network environment 100, and so forth.

FIG. 3C is an exemplary screen shot of a digital image web page 360. Thedigital media component 320 is configured to upload digital media (e.g.,one or more digital images 362) to an album. In various embodiments, thedigital images 362 may be uploaded from a local disk on the user device110, a personal digital assistant, a cell phone, a camera, remote userdevice 110, and the like. Optionally, the digital media component 320resizes the digital image 362 while uploading the digital image 362. Thedigital images 362 may be uploaded to a storage device associated withthe social network environment (e.g., a storage device on the userdevice 110, the social network provider 130, and/or the like). Accordingto some embodiments, the digital images 362 are stored outside of thesocial network environment 100 and provided to the digital mediacomponent 320 for local access via the social network provider 130.Alternatively, the digital images 362 are located remotely and accessedby the social network provider 130. The digital media component 320 isfurther configured to delete digital images 362 from the album.

The digital media component 320 is further configured to displayinformation about the digital images 362. In some embodiments, theinformation about the digital images 362 includes a list of digitalimages 362 in the album and the number of digital images 362 in thealbum that are associated with the user 101. In various embodiments, theinformation further includes, for each digital image 362, the name ofthe digital image 362, a representative icon, a date stamp, the accessprivileges, and the like. In some embodiments, the digital mediacomponent 320 provides the user 101 an option to select a digital image362 for use in the album as the representative icon for an album. Invarious embodiments, the digital media component 320 displays furtherinformation about the digital images 362 including which digital image362 is the most recently updated, which digital image 362 is the mostpopular, which digital images 362 have been tagged by other users 101,and the like. Optionally, the digital media component 320 displaysadvertising 356, which may again be received from the advertising module214. In various embodiments, the digital media component 320 includeslinks and software code configured to view the digital image 362, editthe digital image 362, print the digital image 362, share the digitalimage 362 with other users 101, and the like. In some embodiments, thedigital media component 320 includes a tag list 366.

FIG. 3D is an exemplary screen shot of a digital image edit web page370. The digital image edit component 330 is configured to provide theuser 101 with various editing functions to apply to the digital images362. In various embodiments, the editing functions include rotation,sizing, color adjustment, cropping, tagging, and the like. For example,captions for the digital images 362 may be entered in a caption textentry box 372. In some embodiments, a radio button may be used todesignate the corresponding digital image 362 as the album icon 352. Thetag component 340 is configured to select a region in the image andassociate text with the region. In some embodiments, the tag component340 includes digital image editing functions.

Although digital images 362 and information about the digital images 362are described as being manipulated and/or displayed by the variouscomponents of media engine 135, the media engine 135 may manipulate anddisplay information about various other forms of digital media,including digital images, digital video, digital audio, digitalaudiovisual media, digital text, and/or the like.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary tag component 340. The tagcomponent 340 includes a region selection component 410, an auto listcomponent 420, a tag display component 440, and an email component 430.The operation of these components is discussed below with reference toFIG. 5. Although the tag component 340 is described as being comprisedof various components (e.g., the region selection component 410, theauto list component 420, the email component 430, and the tag displaycomponent 440), fewer or more components may comprise the tag component340 and still fall within the scope of various embodiments. Although thetag component 340 is described as operating on digital images 362, thetag component 340 may operate on various digital media, e.g., digitalimages, digital video, digital audio, digital audiovisual media, digitaltext, and/or the like.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary screen shot of a tag web page 500 illustratingvarious functions of the components of the exemplary tag component 340.The region selection component 410 is configured to receive input from auser 101 (e.g., the media owner 101 a, the tagged user 101 b, and etc.)and/or a non-member, (e.g., the tagged non-user 102). The regionselection component 410 is further configured to select a region (e.g.,a selected region 520) within a digital image 362 according to theinput. In some embodiments, the user 101 moves a cursor 530 on the userdevice 110 to a point in the digital image 362 using a mouse, trackball,track pad, or the like. The user 101 clicks on the point and the regionselection component 410 places a border 525 around the selected region520. In various embodiments, the shape of the selected region 520 may bea rectangle, circle, ellipse, or polygon. The size of the selectedregion 520 may be fixed, may be determined by the user 101, or may beautomatically determined. In various embodiments, the point the mediaowner 101 a clicks on may be in the center, a corner, or some otherlocation of the selected region 520.

FIG. 5 illustrates a border 525 around the selected region 520. However,a line, highlight, or some other indicia may be generated by the regionselection component 410 and superimposed on the digital image 362 usingthe display engine/GUI 208, to indicate the selected region 520. In someembodiments, if the user 101 is not satisfied with the selection, theuser 101 may move the cursor 530 and click on a different point. A newborder 525 will surround a new selected region 520. The user 101 maycontinue to click on various points within the digital image 362 untilthe user 101 is satisfied with the selected region 520. In someembodiments, the user 101 may select a region 520 in the digital image362 using a click-and-drag operation to define a rectangle, circle,ellipse, polygon, and the like. In some embodiments, the user 101 mayclick on multiple points to define vertices of a polygon. In oneembodiment, region selection component 410 includes code toautomatically calculate a selected region 520 relative the selectedpoint using properties of the digital image 362 including contrast,brightness, color, size, and/or the like.

A comment field 550 may contain text including general informationrelated to the digital image 362. Text may be entered into the commentfield 550 by the media owner 101 a of the image.

The auto list component 420 is configured to present a list of likelytags to the user 101 to associate with the selected region 520. In oneembodiment, a tag list 540 pops-up upon clicking on the selected region520. The tag list 540 may include a text entry window 542 and a list ofpreviously used tags. As text is entered in the text entry window 542,the list of previously used tags may be culled to include only thosethat match the text in some manner. In some embodiments, the list ofpreviously used tags includes a text list 544 and a friends list 546.Examples of text strings in the text list 544 include names, words,objects, email addresses, phone numbers, user accounts, user names, textmessage numbers, voice mail user number, pager numbers, instant messageaddresses, and/or the like. Examples of entries in the friends list 546include contacts within the social network environment 100, approvedcontacts, selected email addresses, selected phone numbers, selectedinstant message addresses, selected text message addresses, and/or thelike. Clicking any of the previously used tags may associate the tagwith the selected region 520. Clicking any of the entries in the friendslist 546 may associate the friend's email address with the selectedregion 520.

Turning now to FIG. 6, an exemplary screen shot of a tag web page 600further illustrating various functions of the components of theexemplary tag component 340 is shown. The tagged user 101 b and/or thetagged non-user 102 may be notified that they have been tagged. Thescreen shot of the tag web page 600 differs from the tag web page 500 inthat an email box 620 is displayed by the email component 430 on thedigital image 362, instead of the tag list 540. The email component 430may be configured to receive contact information (e.g., an emailaddress) for a tagged non-user 102 and/or a tagged user 101 b. Infurther embodiments, content information may also include a name of aperson or entity, or information for a third person or entity. In someembodiments, the email component 430 is configured to send anotification to the tagged user 101 b and/or to a tagged non-user 102,that they have been tagged in a digital image 362. Optionally, the emailcomponent 430 may be configured to send a notification to a third personor entity that a digital image 362 has been tagged.

In some embodiments, the email component 430 determines that text in thetext entry window 542 may correspond to an unknown person, and presentsthe email box 620. The email box 620 includes an email entry field 630.If the user 101 enters an email address, the email component 430 isconfigured to send the notification to the email address entered in theemail entry field 630.

If the email address entered in the email entry field 630 corresponds toa user in the social network (e.g., a tagged user 101 b), the emailnotification may include a link to the tagged user 101 b to view thetagged digital image 362 and/or confirm the tag. If the email address isnot recognized by the email component 430 as an email address for a user101 (e.g., a member of the social network environment 100) then theemail component 430 may presume that the email address corresponds to anon-member (e.g., a tagged non-user 102). The email notification thatmay be sent to the tagged non-user 102 may include a link to view thetagged digital image 362 and/or confirm the tag. The email notificationmay further provide an invitation to become a member of the socialnetwork environment 100. In some embodiments, the tagged non-user 102may be permitted to view the tagged digital image 362 but not confirmthe tag until becoming a member of the social network environment 100.The email notification may further include advertising, e.g.,advertising generated by the advertising module 214.

Turning now to FIG. 7, an exemplary screen shot of a tag web page 700 isshown. FIG. 7 includes a selected region 720, a border 725, and a cursor730. The screen shot of the tag web page 700 differs from the tag webpage 500 in that the border 725 associated with a tag “erin” isdisplayed in a different location on the digital image 362 instead ofthe border 525. The selected region 720 differs from the selected region520 in FIG. 5-6, in that a different region of the image 362 isselected. The cursor 730 differs from the cursor 530 in that the cursor730 is pointing to the tag “erin” in the tag list 366 instead of a pointin the image 362.

FIG. 7 illustrates the tag list 366 including two tags, namely, “erin”and “betty jo.” The tag display component 440 is configured to permitthe user 101 to display entries in the tag list 366 that have beenassociated with selected regions 720 in the digital image 362. Multipleselected regions 720 may be associated with tags. In one embodiment, thetag display component 440 highlights selected regions 720 associatedwith entries in the tag list 366 when the cursor hovers near and/or overentries in the tag list 366. FIG. 7 illustrates the cursor 730 hoveringover the tag “erin” in the tag list 366. The tag display component 440highlights the selected region 720 using the border 725. In someembodiments, the advertising module 214 provides advertising 356 to thetag display component 440 for display while the user 101 is viewing thedigital image 362 and/or tags, or adding tags and/or adding comments.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of an exemplary process 800 for tagging digitalmedia, (e.g., the digital images) such as in a social network (e.g., thesocial network environment 100). At step 810, an item of digital media(e.g., a digital image 362) in the social network environment 100 isselected for tagging. In various embodiments, the digital image 362 isselected by a member of the social network environment 100, e.g., a user101, the media owner 101 a, the tagged user 101 b, and the like, via auser device 110. In some embodiments, the digital image 362 is selectedby a non-member of the social network environment 100. The socialnetwork provider 130 may receive the selection from the user 101 via thecommunications network 120.

At step 820 a region (e.g., the selected region 520) in the digitalimage 362 is selected for association with a tag. In some embodiments,the user 101 selects the selected region 520 using a mouse, trackball,touch pad, or the like to move a cursor (e.g., the cursor 530) to apoint within the image 362, and clicking on the point. Optionally, theuser 101 clicks on a point with the cursor 530 and drags the cursor 530to another point (e.g., click and drag) to define the selected region520. In some embodiments, the region selection component 410 displays aborder (e.g., the border 525) to indicate the selected region 520.

At step 830 contact information (e.g., an email address) is associatedwith the selected region 520 using a tag. Contact information may alsoinclude a name of a person or entity, or information for a third personor entity. A tag in the form of text may be associated with the selectedregion 520. In various embodiments, the text may include a hyperlink, anemail address and/or user address of a friend in the social networkenvironment 100, an email address and or user address of a user 101 ofthe social network environment 100, an email address of a non-member ofthe social network environment 100, a phone number, an instant textmessage address, a pager number, a text message number, a mailingaddress, and/or the like. The tag may be input by the user 101. In someembodiments, the tag is suggested by the auto list component 420 of thetag component 340. Optionally, the social network provider 130 selectsthe tag.

At step 840 a notification of the tag is sent. In one embodiment, thenotification of the tag is sent to the email address associated with theselected region 520, for example, using the email component 430. Infurther embodiments, the notification of the tag is sent to a thirdperson or entity. In some embodiments, the notification includes a linkenabling the tagged user 101 b, or the tagged non-user 102, to view thetagged digital image 362. Optionally, the notification sent at step 840includes an invitation to become a member of the social networkenvironment 100 and/or advertising, e.g., advertising generated by theadvertising module 214.

At step 845 it is determined if the email address belongs to a user 101who is member of the social network environment 100 (e.g., the taggeduser 101 b). If the email address belongs to the tagged user 101 b thenthe method proceeds to step 850 in which tag validity information isreceived from the tagged user 101 b. In some embodiments, step 850includes displaying the digital image 362 and tag to the tagged user 101b and providing the tagged user 101 b an option to confirm the tag ordisaffirm the tag (e.g., using radio buttons).

At step 855 it is determined if the tag is valid. For example, if thetagged user 101 b confirms the tag in step 850 then the tag is valid.However, if the tagged user 101 b disaffirms the tag in step 850 thenthe tag is not valid. If the tag is valid, the method 800 ends. If thetag is not valid then the method proceeds to step 880 and removes thetag and ends. In some embodiments, the media owner 101 a can overridethe validity information. Optionally, the tag is hidden from users 101other than the media owner 101 a instead of removed.

If the email address does not belong to a user 101 who is a member ofthe social network environment 100 (e.g., belongs to the tagged non-user102) the method proceeds to step 860. In step 860 an invitation is sentto the tagged non-user 102 to become a member of the social networkenvironment 100. The invitation to become a member of the social networkenvironment 100 may include a link to a membership registration webpage. Optionally, the advertising module 214 attaches advertising to theinvitation to become a member of the social network environment 100 atstep 860. In optional step 870, a link is sent to the digital image 362that will enable the tagged non-user 102 to view the digital image 362and the tag associated with a region 520. In an alternative embodiment,at step 870 the digital image 362 associated with the tagged text, issent to the tagged non-user 102 for viewing the digital image 362 andthe tagged text associated with the region 520.

In one embodiment, the tagged non-user 102 follows the link to themembership registration web page and optional step 875 determines if thetagged non-user 102 has become a member of the social networkenvironment 100. The process proceeds to step 850 upon completion of theregistration. If the tagged non-user 102 elects not to become a memberof the social network environment 100, the method 800 ends. In someembodiments, if the tagged non-user 102 elects to become a member, thetagged non-user 102 becomes a tagged user 101 b and thus may review thedigital images 362 that have been tagged with the new tagged user's 101b email address at any time.

Several embodiments are specifically illustrated and/or describedherein. However, it will be appreciated that modifications andvariations are covered by the above teachings and within the scope ofthe appended claims without departing from the spirit and intended scopethereof. For example, media may be tagged with hyperlink to advertising.For example, video clips may be tagged. For example audio may be usedinstead of text to tag the digital media. For example, digital imagesmay be used instead of text to tag the digital media. For example,hyperlinks to video may be used instead of text to tag the digitalmedia. For example, objects in online games may be tagged. Variousembodiments of the invention include logic stored on computer readablemedia, the logic configured to perform methods of the invention.

The embodiments discussed herein are illustrative of the presentinvention. As these embodiments of the present invention are describedwith reference to illustrations, various modifications or adaptations ofthe methods and or specific structures described may become apparent tothose skilled in the art. All such modifications, adaptations, orvariations that rely upon the teachings of the present invention, andthrough which these teachings have advanced the art, are considered tobe within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Hence, thesedescriptions and drawings should not be considered in a limiting sense,as it is understood that the present invention is in no way limited toonly the embodiments illustrated.

1. A method comprising: presenting to a first user a graphical userinterface including an item of digital media; wherein the graphical userinterface comprises a set of media interface control elements, wherein afirst media interface control element comprises a tag componentoperative to receive one or more tags to be associated with the item ofdigital media; and responsive to an indication of user interaction withthe first interface control element of the graphical user interface,associating one or more tags with the item of digital media received bythe tagging component; resolving the one or more tags to contactinformation of a second user; and generating a notification to thesecond user using the contact information.
 2. The method of claim 1wherein the set of media interface control elements further comprises asecond media interface control element including a notificationcomponent operative to receive contact information for a second user. 3.The method of claim 1 wherein at least one tag of the one or more tagstag identifies the second user, and wherein the notification is atagging notification indicating that the second user has been tagged inassociation with the item of digital media.
 4. The method of claim 1wherein the contact information comprises an email address, and whereinthe notification comprises an email.
 5. The method of claim 1 whereinthe contact information comprises a text message number.
 6. The methodof claim 1 wherein the contact information comprises an instant messageaddress.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the notification comprises ahyperlink to the item of digital media.
 8. The method of claim 1 whereina third media interface control element comprises a region selectioncomponent operative to receive a selection of a region of the item ofdigital media to be associated with the one or more tags; and furthercomprising associating the one or more tags with the selected region ofthe item of digital media in response to an indication of userinteraction with the region selection component and the taggingcomponent.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one ormore tags comprises a hyperlink.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein thehyperlink links to information associated with text corresponding to thetag.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the text identifies a person ina social networking system.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein thehyperlink links to information associated with the person in the socialnetworking system.
 13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumcontaining computer program code for: presenting to a first user agraphical user interface including an item of digital media; wherein thegraphical user interface comprises a set of media interface controlelements, wherein a first media interface control element comprises atag component operative to receive one or more tags to be associatedwith the item of digital media; and wherein a second media interfacecontrol element comprises a notification component operative to receivecontact information for a second user; and responsive to an indicationof user interaction with the first and second media interface controlelements of the graphical user interface, generating a notification tothe second user using the contact information received by thenotification component; and associating the one or more tags with theitem of digital media entered received by the tagging component.
 14. Thecomputer-readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein at least one tag ofthe one or more tags tag identifies the second user, and wherein thenotification is a tagging notification indicating that the second userhas been tagged in association with the item of digital media.
 15. Thecomputer-readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the contactinformation comprises an email address, and wherein the notificationcomprises an email.
 16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13wherein the contact information comprises a text message number.
 17. Thecomputer-readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the notificationcomprises a hyperlink to the item of digital media.
 18. Thecomputer-readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein a third mediainterface control element comprises a region selection componentoperative to receive a selection of a region of the item of digitalmedia to be associated with the one or more tags; and further comprisingassociating the one or more tags with the selected region of the item ofdigital media in response to an indication of user interaction with theregion selection component and the tagging component.
 19. Thecomputer-readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein at least one of theone or more tags comprises a hyperlink.
 20. A method, comprising:receiving from a device of a first user an item of digital media;receiving from the device of the first user a set of tags to beassociated with the item of digital media; associating the set of tagswith the item of digital media; and if a tag in the set of tags isassociated with a second user, generating a notification to the seconduser using contact information corresponding to the second user.
 21. Themethod of claim 20 further comprising: receiving from the device of afirst user a selection of a region of the item of digital media to beassociated with the set of tags and the selected item of digital media;and associating the selection of the region with the item of digitalmedia.